Happy Review-aversary to Me!!

October 8th is the one year anniversary of my first review posted on Fiction Vixen. Look how far I have come, from guest reviewer to regular reviewer!! Since the typical gift for a one year anniversary is paper I think I will buy myself a book…or seven…but I don’t know what to buy. Most of my book purchases are done on impulse. I see something that is recommended, I check out the blurb or review and then I buy it. Very few books I buy are part of a thought out process. So I would like to buy one that I, and everyone else, has provided thought towards.

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Recently I have been on a dark erotica kick but that doesn’t mean I have to stay that way. Maybe if I tell everyone my likes/dislikes you can help me pick out a special book for my anniversary!

Favorite seriesThis one is easy for me. Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series is my favorite. I read a ton of ongoing series, in fact most of my books are probably connected to a series in some way. The Fever series stands above all of those. It left me gasping, guessing and flailing for answers. How many books can you say have done that? Do you have one like that?

Favorite heroBarrons/Roarke/Bones. I like ‘em cool, confident, sexy and smokin’ hot with a bit of alpha-hole thrown in there. No betas for me, please.

Favorite heroineCat/Kate. This one took me a minute to think about but those two names kept popping into my head. Both are kick-ass females that never needed their men to survive. They had lives before the men but now are made whole with their men. TSTL need not apply. No thank you.

Favorite genreWell recently it has been dark, contemporary erotica. Overall, it might be historical though. There is something about the taboo of sex in historical settings that gets me. In this area I am open to pretty much everything although the PNR market has been over saturated lately and I think we are hurting for something fresh.

Favorite bookNow this is the hard one. How do you narrow it down to one book? But my favorite book would likely be Acheron or Shadowfever. Of course, they are both connected to a series, which is not necessary here, but I would describe them as EPIC. I could not put either book down. I even took a vacation day from work to read them. And when they were finished I was in a book funk for a week afterwards.

I know I don’t ask for much, but can you help me find something that could fit into several of the categories above? Genius if you can find one to fit all of them!

Last but not least…I want to say thank you to Amy, Angela, Catherine, Samantha and most of all Sophia. The last year has been a blast with you guys. Thanks for allowing me to play! *sniff*
Note from Sophia: It’s been awesome having you at Fiction Vixen Jen, and I hope you have plans to continue to rock our world with your insight and opinions on the genre we all love. xo

Giveaway

Now, to give you all a little encouragement to help Jen out, I’m going to toss in a $10.00 gift card to an online book store (winner’s choice) to one lucky recommend-er. Leave a comment with your book recommendations for Jen based on her preferences above. Based on your recs, I might even gift a few books to Jen.

Open to anyone who can spend a gift card :). You have until end of day October 12 to enter, winner will be announced soon after.

Giveaway sponsored by: FVBR

No purchase necessary to win. You must be 18 or over to enter, void where prohibited. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. FVBR is not being compensated for this giveaway. If the winner declines to accept or fails to claim their prize within 72 hours of the announcement, they forfeit their prize(s). Prize distribution is the sole responsibility of the giveaway sponsor. Fiction Vixen Book Reviews will not be held responsible for lost or misdirected prizes or for circumstances beyond our control. More information here.

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About FV Jen

I am happily married to a wonderful man and mother to 3 crazy kids. My major escape from the craziness at home is usually in a book. Preferably of the romance variety with a broody, alpha hero. I am also a huge sports fan. The St. Louis Cardinals have been my team since my grandpa introduced me to baseball at the tender age of birth. Go Cardinals!!

Have you read “The Taken”, first in the Celestial Blues series by Vicki Petterssen? It’s a dark, contemporary PNR, but it has the twist you are looking for. Griffin Shaw is a hot, alpha angel with an attitude trying to solve his own murder. Kit Craig is an investigative journalist who lives the rockabilly life style and is trying to find out why her best friend was killed. There’s a Roarke/Eve vibe to these two, and Petterssen uses language better than any author I know. Her words truly sing. I think you’d really enjoy this one.

I’d recommend Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series–Archangel’s Blade from last year, or her current book, Archangel’s Storm. Dimitri, the hero of A’s Blade, is more in line with what you profess to prefer in a hero.

The Fever series is my 2nd favorite urban fantasy series. The 1st is The Hallows series by Kim Harrison. She is about to release the 11th book in this series, and I am still completely hooked. Waring, it’s is more urban fantasy than PNR.

The 3rd is the Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane. I didn’t really get into this book until the end of book #2. All of her books leave me in a funk for weeks after This is equal parts urban fantasy and PNR

I’ve also heard amazing things about the Demonica series by Larrison Ione. I’ve only read the 3rd book, Passion Unleashed, and it was super steamy!

Soulless by Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate series) is also amazing. This one is a steampunk. It is really witty and unique, and has a super manly werewolf I read it 3 times in the first year after I bought it.

Yes, with the exception of the Hallows series, I really don’t read anything that isn’t in the romance genre. Although, the later books are a little light on the romance.
Think alpha werewolf who is desperately trying not to fall in love and only knows how to woo according to werewolf customs. Did I mention that he hates wearing clothes?

If you want a steamy historical, have you tried Elizabeth Hoyt? Loved her earlier stuff, especially The Raven Prince, and her sex scenes are more on the erotic side.

Oh, and if you want an “alpha-hole” try Dragos from Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison.

First Congrats and Happy blogovesary!
I would recommend two series based on her hero and heroine picks.
The first is the Peyton Legacy series by Susannah Sandlin (a pen name for author of Royal Street author Suzanne Johnson a kick-ass UF by the way)
my second recommendation would be the Rosemary and Rue series by Seanan McGuire .

As for book recommendations, since some of my favourite series/authors have already been mentioned (Jeaniene Frost, Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, KMM), I’ll recommend some recent reads that I’ve read. They’re all contempories: On Dublin Street by Samantha Young; The Wild Ones & Down to You by M. Leighton, and Down for the Count by Christine Bell.

Happy Review-aversary!! I love your fave heroes and I heart me some Bones and Barrons! I’ve seen a lot of good recs and some I’ve put on my TBR list to check out. A couple of recs I have are Mark of the Vampire series by Laura Wright and Midnight Breed series by Lara Adrian. Mark of the Vampires books are quick reads with a lot of action and a lot of sexy alpha males. Speaking of alpha males…the Midnight Breed series is a little darker with its vampires story line. They walk the thin line between Breed male and falling into bloodlust and becoming a mindless, bloodthirsty (literally) rogue vampire. Both are great series’ and will have you driving to the bookstore for the next book!!
ehaney578 at aol dot com

Ok… ummm. more Urban fantasy than PNR but have you tried the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs? The romance is there, it’s just more of a slow simmer… and then there’s Karen Chance’s Midnight Daughter series (which I liked better than the Cassie Palmer series) and Jane Yellowrock by Faith Hunter. More scifi but still awesome! Sirantha Jax series by Ann Aguirre. Steampunk HR… Firelight and Moonlight by Kristen Callihan. And those are a few of my favorite things

Congratulations! I have one (well, two) series recommendations & one fav book recommendation. These aren’t strictly romance but they both have romantic elements…Anne Bishop’s The Dark Jewels which is nice and dark….and fun. I also like Sebastian/Belladonna (but not the last one …

my favorite vamp book is Robin McKinley’s Sunshine. it isn’t on kindle although it is on audiobook! It isn’t PNR, but it is an engrossing fun read! I have two paperback copies (just in case I lose one)

Have you read Illona Andrews Kate Daniels series? It’s a combination of UF/PNR and it has an awesome alpha hero and the heroine is kickass! I can also be a second recommendation for Larissa Ione’s Demonica series and then there is a series that Larissa wrote with her friend Stephanie Tyler under the pen name Sydney Croft that is an Erotic PNR series with some dark elements – and if you are willing to branch out and try something different that is contemporary there is always the “Biker” books by Jaci Burton (The Wild Rider series) and she’s got a ton of paranormal books too and if you like BDSM then I would recommend the “Sweet” series by Maya Banks that are more edgy. By the way – Happy review anniversary:)

Awe! Happy review-aversary to you Jen! I don’t know what book I will recommend to you, since we almost have same taste, lol! I will recommend Tairen Soul series by C.L. Wilson, if you into fantasy romance. Totally have alpha hero, a scary enemy and its EPIC. For me

I know! We have read most of the same stuff! I started the Tairen Sould series on your recommendation and really liked the first one. I need to get back to the rest! Thanks for reminding me of those books!

It’s a good change of pace for pnr because the strength is all in the female lead, not in one single ‘alpha male’ to swoop in and rescue/change her life. Through the books it keeps you guessing for a while who Riley is really supposed to be with.

Congrats! I was also recommend the ACRO series by Sydney Croft, very erotic, lots of alphas with a touch of MM. Amazing! Book one is Riding the Storm – very alpha hero with cajun accent, and later books have great BDSM too.
I know you like historicals, have you read The Knight Miscellany series by Gaelen Foley? The series follows the six children of the Duchess of Hawkscliffe, also known as The Hawkscliffe Harlot, because only her first son and last daughter were her husband’s children, the others were born from affairs she had, very different setting, but full of emotion, sexy times and alpha males. Book 1 is The Duke, but books 2 and 3 are my favorites – Lord of Fire and Lord of Ice.
Thanks for all the work you and the girls do writing reviews for us, and I hope this is the first of many years to come.

Happy Review-aversary!!!
I would definitely recommend the Demonica series and the spin off Lords of Deliverance series if you have not read them. Great world building, characters, & stories there. Since you really loved Cherise Sinclair, you should check out Kallypso Masters. I LOVE her Rescue Me series! She is probably my very favorite Indie author, one I can not get enough of. Her books DO need to be read in order. The stories continue, even after they get the HFN ending, characters will often have more problems down the road, just like IRL.

Have you read Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Yhompson series? I think Mercy fits your fave heroine list and Adam will fit into fave hero territory and it’s an UF series. The romance builds more slowly but is definitely satisfying, kind of like Kate Daniels.

There is also the Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs which features Charles and Anna and is more romance-y than the other series. Both are just excellent and there are multiple books in each to enjoy.

I’ve just finished Down for the Count by Christine Bell which was recommended up thread too and that was a sexy contemporary which was a lot of fun.

Are you reviewing it for the site? I think this is an excellent example of how great erotic fiction can be. You get some smoking hot scenes, balance with an intensely emotional relationship. Abbie’s voice was so clear, honest..and Ivan, sweet messed up Ivan….sigh..

I love Eileen Wilks’ World of the Lupi books. For some reason it doesn’t get a lot of attention, but it’s really great, and the hero (Rule) and heroine (Lily) remind me a bit of Roarke and Eve (yummy Roarke). I definitely would recommend you try it if you haven’t, because Lily is a kickass chick, plus she’s of Chinese descent, so she’s stands out among the usual UF heroines.

I love anything by Gaelen Foley her Knight Family series most of all! The books are historical with a dark undertone(spys and such) and hot sex scenes. When I first read them I was left guessing and couldn’t put them down and they are books that I end up rereading every once in a while

Hi
My favorite heroines are also Cat (Night Huntress series) and Kate (Kate Daniels series).
Another of my favorite series is the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward.
If you like angels (fallen ones) I would recommend Anne Marsh’s series “Fallen”.
For erotica I’d recommend Leanore Elliott.
Hope these suggestions are helpful!

Happy Review-versary! Reviews are great things to celebrate. The Fever series is one of my favorite series and I do like Cat and Bones from the Night Huntress series.

I am recommending The Prize by Brenda Joyce (historical romance), The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne (historical romance) – the heroine is wonderful! Also, any book by Kristen Ashley. Now those men are alphas!

Hmmm. This is a tough one as I don’t know what you’ve read. I’m going to go with Joey W. Hill’s “Arcane Shot” series which included “In the Company of Witches” & “Something About Witches.” Happy anniversary, Jen!

Happy Review-Aversary! I totally agree with your top choices and have a hard time choosing between Barrons and Bones all the Time and Ash will always one of my first loves. I am still slowly working my way through the In Death series. It is the only series I haven’t read from start to finish but 40+ books is a lot. Every now and again I have to get my Roarke fix.

Have you tried the Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop? It actually turned out to be more than 3 books and is really dark, magical and sexy! The other one that came to mind based on your comment of dark erotica is Maid for Pleasure by Lucy Rodgers.

Happy Review-aversary, Jen! Sadly, I don’t have any book recommendations for you (I tend to like thrillers & mysteries with romantic overtones and romantic suspense), although you’ve already gotten some wonderful suggestions!

There were a whole bunch of entries, so I’m probably doubling up on someone else, but I hope not!

I love, love, love the Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs. I set aside a day to read them on the day they come out. A&O is romance from the get go, but is an off-shoot of the Mercy series which is UF with strong romantic elements.

Another series that reads like UF but with strong romance from the very first chapter is the World of the Lupi books by Eileen Wilks. They are amazing, and book 9 (I think) just came out (plus novellas in between) so you’d have a big chunk of new story all in one go!

In historicals, I LOVE Jenifer Ashley’s Highland pleasures. I’ve reread all those at least three times!

CONGRATULATIONS!
I would say: Spirited Away by Cindy Miles– a really sweet romance, but the hero is from a time where he’s used to ladys doing what they’re told — Seduction & Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone– dark, sexy, and gothic– His Dark Kiss by Eve silver– same. Dark, sexy, gothic. Fantastic.–
Happy reading and reviewing!

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Fiction Vixen Book Reviews is a romance and urban fantasy review blog. Sophia, Amy, Jen, Angela and Samantha make up the review team, but we're always looking for guest reviewers especially in the urban fantasy genre. If you'd like to guest review at Fiction Vixen, fill in our form here.